Pineapple Mint Shakes

With all that talk of making sure I stay hydrated a few weeks a go you guys didn’t think I meant just water, did you? Nope, there are way too many fun ways to get your H2O! Turning fruit into drinks is a great way of staying hydrated, getting some extra vitamins, AND pleasing your taste buds all at the same time.

I love a good glass of pinot grigio, and there are many times when only a glass of ice cold beer will do, but since I like to incorporate cocktail hour as often as possible, I like to dream up magical mocktails.

A lot of places serve overly sweet and fake fruity drinks, so when I make mine at home I love knowing that it is filled with REAL and nutritious ingredients. On a non-mocktail night I may very well add a shot of rum to this drink!

Mint and pineapple go really well together. Both of these ingredients lend a freshness to the drink, with the pineapple providing sweetness and the mint adding extra flavour. It’s like a pina colada and a mojito had a baby!

To balance out the tartness of the pineapple I added a bit of vanilla extract. The vanilla gives the drink a more well rounded taste, and seriously, what doesn’t go with vanilla?

All I need is sand between my toes and my tropical vision is almost complete! Oh, and maybe one of those fun drink umbrellas!

While we’re talking about cocktail hour, Derek and I try to sneak in a good cocktail hour a few times a week. For us, cocktail hour means sitting down together at the end of the day with a drink (or mocktail for me!) and a little snack or appetizer plate and just chill. Come Thursday afternoon you can bet that we are having cocktail hour before having a late dinner. When we are on vacation we love to pick up some refreshments at the local convenience or grocery store and have cocktail hour before heading out for the night. It just sets the tone for relaxing and connecting, and is a big part of the revel lifestyle for me.

You will need:

1/2 large pineapple, cut in 1 inch pieces (remove the core and skin)

1/4 to 1/2 cup of mint leafs

1/4 tsp of pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup of apple juice

How to:

Combine the pineapple, mint and vanilla in a food processor, and process until it forms a fine, liquid pulp.

Add the apple juice and process until it is mixed in with the pulp.

Place the mixture in the freezer for a couple of hours. It will not freeze, but it will become nice and cold.

Serve outside on a hot summers’ afternoon (or inside on a miserably cold day if you want to pretend it is summer!).

Hey, it’s Thursday – I see cocktail hour in my near future! Do you have any chilling out rituals that you like to incorporate into your week?